Packaging support for frangible plate containers



Jul 7, 1970 E. J. LIDGARD 3,519,24@

PACKAGING SUPPORT FOR FRANGIBLE PLATE CONTAINERS Filed Jan. L 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDWARD J. LlDARD FIG.

ATTORNEYS PACKAGING SUPPORT FOR FRANGIBLE PLATE CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1968 E. J. LIDGARD juiy 7, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet L Fae.a

INVENTOR. Fla. '7 EDWARD J. LlDGARD BY 8 {4406a fiw'd em ATTORNEYS E. J. LIDGARD 3,519,244

PACKAGING SUPPORT FOR FRANGIBLE PLATE CONTAINERS July 7, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 4, 1968 FIG. 8

INVENTOR. EDWARD J. LIDGARD ATTORNEYS y 7, 1970 E. J. LIDGARD 3,519,244

PACKAGING SUPPORT FOR FRANGIBLE PLATE CQNTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4t Fae. l0

Flc-hn INVENTOR.

EDWARD J. LlDGARD ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,519,244 PACKAGING SUPPORT FOR FRANGIBLE PLATE CONTAINERS Edward J. Lidgard, Lathrup Village, Mich., assignor to Flotepak Corporation, Southfield, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 695,669 Int. Cl. B60p 7/10; B65d 85/48 U.S. Cl. 248--119 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in packaging containers and more particularly to an improved packaging support for use in containers for handling and storing frangible plates such as automotive Windshields and the like.

The packaging support of this invention is typically used in conjunction with shipping and storage containers of a rather standard cubicle design formed from either pasteboard or inexpensive wooden slats bound together by nails and wire or steel straps to adapt the standard containers so that they may be utilized in shipping frangible plates having compound curved surfaces such as automotive windshields. A specific embodiment of this type of container structure is fully disclosed in the inventors U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,022.

In the prior frangible plate packaging art it has usually been necessary to make a packaging support for a surface containing compound curves by cutting or otherwise forming a surface that would conform to the compound curve on a block of material such as Celotex. There are considerable material and labor costs involved in producing such a support. Furthermore, there is a large variety of frangible plates each of which has a different compound curved surface requiring a separate Celotex support.

In brief, this invention comprises a generally T-shaped outer shell and a generally U-shaped main frame which are interlocked and secured together plus an inverted generally V-shaped inner support which is inserted in the main frame. The various elements of this support are formed from rectangular sheets of a resilient flexible material such as corrugated cardboard by providing a plurality of integral flexible hinge lines or folds in each of the sheets. The resulting structure provides a resilient support which within the inherent limits of its resiliency will conform to a variety of compound curved surfaces or shapes. This ability to conform to a variety of compound curved surfaces allows this invention to be used in supporting a variety of frangible plates each having a different surface of compound curvature. Due to the inherent resiliency of the material from which the invention is formed and also due to the resiliency of the integral hinge lines, the device is able to absorb substantial shocks and blows without damage to the frangible plates which it supports.

3,519,244 Patented July 7, 1970 "ice This invention relates to improvements in packaging containers for handling and storing frangible plates such as glass and more particularly to an improved packaging support. An illustrative use of this invention is in the packaging of curved sheets of glass such as curved front Windshields and windows of automobiles and trucks.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive packaging support, the supporting area of which will conform to various plates having compound arcuate or warped surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packaging support device which will support plate surfaces which are parallel to the longitudinal center line of the device but are inclined at a variety of differing angles in a plane transverse to the longitudinal center line of the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packaging support device composed of the same basic structural elements which is readily adaptable to several base mounting configurations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packaging support device having cushioning or shock absorbing characteristics.

Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims in which there is found the manner of making and using the invention and the best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out this invention.

Drawings accompany this disclosure and the various views thereof may be described as:

FIG. 1, a plan perspective view partially in section of a shipping and storage container using the improved packaging supports to constrain a plurality of curved glass Windshields.

FIG. 2, a perspective view of a packaging support.

FIG. 3, an end view of a packaging support with a first mounting configuration attached to a flat surface.

FIG. 4, an end view of a packaging support with a second mounting configuration attached to a wood block which is in turn attached to corrugated paper.

FIG. 5, an end view of a packaging support with a third mounting configuration attached to two furring strips which are secured to a portion of a slat of a wood container.

FIG. 6, an end view of a portion of a frangible plate container showing a packaging support conforming to the arcuate surface of a curved windshield.

FIG. 7, an end view of a portion of a container having glass Windshields resting on two short packaging supports.

FIG. 8, a side elevational view of a portion of a frangible plate container partially in section having glass Windshields constrained by packaging supports utilizing a spacer or filler and two different types of mounting configurations.

FIG. 9, a perspective view of a packaging support with attached spacers or fillers.

FIG. 10, an end view of a packaging support having a second embodiment of an outer shell element.

FIG. 11, an end view of an unloaded packaging support.

Referring to the drawings:

In FIG. 1, a protective shipping and storage container 20 having a plurality of curved glass Windshields 22 constrained by packaging supports designated generally as 24 is shown. A basic shipping and storage container for frangible plates is disclosed in the inventors Pat. No. 2,919,022 which is hereby incorporated in this disclosure by reference. In brief, the containers 20 can be composed of wooden slats with wire or steel bands, pasteboard construction, or a totally enclosed construction as shown in FIG. 1. Such storage containers have a variety of supporting and positioning components which constrain the frangible plates within the container so that they will not be appreciably shifted or moved when the container is shipped. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the packaging support 24 is composed of an outer shell element 26, an inner frame element 28, and an optional inner support element 30. All of the interfitting elements of the packaging support are formed from sheets of a lightweight, inexpensive, flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material such as laminated corrugated paper, cardboard, pasteboard, paperboard, corrugated paperboard and various flexible resilient plastic materials.

FIGS. 3 and show two specific embodiments of the outer shell element 26 which is formed in a con-figuration which generally represents the outline of a T with a spreading base. The shell element 26 can be readily formed from a flat sheet of material by providing a plurality of integral flexible hinge lines or folds 32 which are parallel to each other and traverse the entire width of the sheet. In both configurations the hinge lines or folds 32 form an outer shell element with a top plate 34, return folds 36 which underlie the top plate, diverging legs 38 extending downward from the inner edges of the return folds and base mounts 40 at the lower edge of the diverging legs 38. In the configuration of FIG. 10 a base plate 42 of the outer shell element 26 is also formed.

The inner frame element 28 is formed in a generally winged U-shaped configuration from a substantially rectangular sheet of material having a plurality of substantially parallel hinge lines 32 which traverse the entire width of the sheet. The inner frame element 28 is formed with a base 44, converging sides 46 and wings 48 extending outwardly from the upper edges of the converging sides 46. The outer shell element 26 and the inner frame element 28 are formed so that the outer shell will at least partially encompass the inner frame with at least a portion of the top plate 34, return folds 36 and diverging legs 38 of the outer shell being in intimate contact or sliding engagement with at least a portion of the exterior surfaces of the converging legs 46 and outwardly projecting wings 48 of the inner frame element. When an outer shell element of the configuration of FIG. 10 is used, the outer shell totally encompasses the inner frame element and the base 42 of the outer shell and the base 44 of the inner frame element are also in sliding engagement with each other. For additional rigidity and strength, the outer shell element 26 can be attached to the inner frame element 28 by a suitable means such as staples 50 or glue.

The optional inner support element 30, which can be referred to as a beam, as shown in FIG. 2, is in the general configuration of an inverted V having sides 52 and an apex 54 and can be formed from a substantially rectangular sheet having an integral flexible hinge line extending the entire width of the sheet. A portion of the exterior surfaces and ends of the sides 52 slidingly engage a portion of the interior surfaces of the converging sides 46 and base 44 of the inner frame element when the inner support is inserted in the inner frame. The inner support 30 increases both the load bearing capacity of the packaging support 24 and its ability to resist lateral displacement of frangible plates resting on the top plate 34 of the packaging support. If the width of the inner support 30 is narrower than the width of the outer shell 28, as shown in FIG. 6, the tendency of the top plate 34 to conform to the arcuate surface in the plane of the longitudinal center line of the packaging support of a glass plate 22 is improved. The tendency of the top plate 34 to conform to the curved surface of the glass plate 22 is improved because center portion 56 of the device will support a greater load than the end portions 58. Therefore, the end portions 58 have a greater tendency to be partially deformed when subjected to a load so that they conform to the curved surface of the glass 22. It is also possible to make the inner frame element narrower than the outer shell element and the inner support element narrower than the inner frame element so that the top plate has three different load supporting zones which cause the top plate of the packaging support to conform to the curved surface of the glass plate 22.

Perhaps as best illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the top plate 34 of the packaging support 24 Will rock or seesaw about the apex 54 of the inner support element 30. This rocking action of the top plate 34 allows it to conform to surfaces of frangible plates which assume a variety of angular relationships with respect to the base 44 of the inner frame element. This flexibility of movement of the top plate 34 coupled with the ability of the top plate 34 to conform to arcuate surfaces in the plane of the longitudinal center line of the packaging support provides a supporting device which is readily adaptable to a wide variety of surfaces containing compound curvatures.

It has been empirically determined that the packaging support 24 of this invention is able to absorb substantial shocks and impacts, thereby protecting the frangible goods which it supports during shipment and storage. This ability to protect frangible goods during shipment is believed to be due to the exceptional resiliency of the packaging support. As shown in FIG. 11, the packaging support 24 assumes what might be termed an expanded position when there is no load on the top plate 34 and as the load on the top plate increases, the various interfitted elements of the packaging support are forced or locked together and the packaging support assumes what might be termed a compressed position as shown in all the other figures accompanying this disclosure. The compression, or in a sense preloading, of the packaging support is believed to contribute significantly to its ability to absorb shock. The packaging support assumes the expanded position shown in FIG. 11 due to the inherent resiliency of the material and the use of integral hinge lines or folds in forming the interfitting elements of the packaging support.

In FIGS. 3 and 11, a first base mounting configuration for the packaging support 24 is shown. In this configuration the base mounts 40 are substantially parallel to and in line with the base 44 of the inner frame element and are attached to a flat surface by a suitable means such as staples or glue. In FIG. 4, a second base mounting configuration in which the base mounts 40 are formed in the shape of an L and attached to a mounting block of a shipping crate 60 which is in turn attached to a corrugated paper portion 62 of a shipping and storage container is shown. In this configuration on leg of the L-shaped base mounts 40 is substantially parallel to and in line with the base portion 44 of the inner frame element and the other leg is at substantially a right angle to the base 44. In FIG. 5, a third base mounting configuration in which the base mounts 40 are attached to furring strips 64 which are attached to a wood slat 66 of a storage container is shown. The base mounts 40 are substantially parallel to the base 44 of the inner frame element and positioned between the base 44 and the wing 48 of the inner frame element. In FIG. 2, a fourth base mounting configuration is shown in which the base mounts 40 are substantially aligned with the diverging sides 38 of the outer shell element and extend beyond the base 44 of the inner frame element. This mounting configuration is shown attached to a container in FIG. 8.

The number of curved Windshields that are to be packaged in a single shipping and storage container will depend upon the particular curved design of the windshield and the number of such Windshields that are ordered by a customer. Therefore, the spacing between the group of Windshields that is to be shipped and the interior surfaces of a standard shipping container will vary considerably from one package to another. Hence, it becomes necessary to adjust or space the position of a packaging support 24 with respect to the interior surface of the container to which it is secured. So that a standard sized packaging support 24 can be used with a variety of standard container and windshield group combinations, spacers have been designed to position the packaging support within the container. As shown in FIG. 8, a spacer 68 formed from several laminated sections of cardboard is used in conjunction with a packaging support 24, having a base mounting configuration as shown in FIG. 2, to position and support a group of glass plates 22 within a packaging container. In FIG. 9, an alternate means of using a spacer 68 with a packaging support 24 is shown. The spacer 68 is attached to the top plate 34 of the packaging support by a suitable means such as tape or glue. This alternate means of providing the correct spacing is usually used with packaging supports which have mounting configurations that do not readily lend themselves to attaching the spacer 68 to the base mounting configuration. The spacing arrangement shown in FIG. 8 illustrates the preferred use of the spacers because spacers attached to the top plate 34 reduce its ability to conform to surfaces containing compound curves by increasing the flexure strength of the top plate.

When the group of frangible plates to be packaged is fairly lightweight or when the center of the radius of curvature of the group of plates to be supported is above the supporting device, it is possible to adequately support the plates by using two relatively short packaging supports 24 each of which spans only a portion of the lateral distance across a glass plate 22. Such an arrangement of packaging supports is shown in FIG. 7 in which a glass plate having its center of curvature above the packaging support is shown in phantom lines.

Depending on the compound curvature of the frangible plate and the total load to be supported by this device, it is possible to tailor a packaging support to a wide range of compound curvatures and load requirements by using various combinations of the outer shell, inner frame and optional support elements. In some applications it Will be possible to use the outer shell element alone. In other situations the outer shell can be used in combination with either the inner frame element or the optional support element and in some situations it will be necessary to use all three elements to make a satisfactory packaging support. Furthermore, the inner frame and the inner support elements can be made narrower than the outer shell element and if both the inner frame and the inner support elements are used in combination with the outer shell element, the inner support element can be made narrower than the inner frame unit so that the top plate of the outer shell element will conform to various compound curvatures.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises, an outer shell element formed in an outline of a T configuration having a top plate, return folds underlying the top plate and extending toward the center of the configuration, and diverging legs extending downwardly from inner edges of the return folds, the outer shell being formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material, and an inner frame element formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material in a winged U configuration having a base, converging sides, and outwardly extending Wings interfitted with and at least partially encompassed by the outer shell.

2. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 1 in which an inner support element formed in a generally inverted V configuration with sides converging toward an apex of a sheet of a flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material is interfitted with and encompassed by the inner frame element.

3. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 2 in which the width of the inner support element is materially narrower than the width of the inner frame element.

4. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for ship ment as defined in claim 3 in which the width of the inner frame element is materially narrower than the width of the outer shell element.

5. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 2 in which the width of both the inner frame element and the inner support element is materially narrower than the width of the outer shell.

6. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for ship ment as defined in claim 2 in which the diverging legs of the outer shell have base mounts on their lower extremities.

7. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 6 in which the base mounts are substantially parallel to and aligned with the base of the inner frame.

8. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 6 in which the base mounts are substantially aligned with the diverging legs and extend beyond the base of the inner frame.

9. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 6 in which the base mounts are formed in an L configuration with one leg of the L being substantially parallel to and aligned with the base of the inner frame.

.10. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 6 in which the base mounts are substantially parallel to the base of the inner frame and are positioned between the base and the wings of the inner frame.

11. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 1 in which the width of the inner frame element is materially narrower than the Width of the outer shell element.

12. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 1 in which the diverging legs of the outer shell have base mounts on their lower extremities.

13. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 12 in which the base mounts are substantially parallel to and aligned with the base of the inner frame.

14. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 12 in which the base mounts are substantially aligned with the diverging legs and extend beyond the base of the inner frame.

15. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim 12 in which the base mounts are formed in an L configuration with one leg of the L being substantially parallel to and aligned with the base of the inner frame.

16. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment as defined in claim .12 in which the base mounts are substantially parallel to the base of the inner frame and are positioned between the base and the wings of the inner frame.

17. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises, an outer shell element formed in an outline of a T configuration having a top plate, return folds underlying the top plate and extending to the center portion of the top plate of the configuration, and diverging legs extending downwardly from inner edges of the return folds, the outer shell being formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material, and an inner support element consisting of a single sheet of material folded to form an inverted V-configuration with the fold forming the apex of said V, said support element being formed from a sheet of a flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material interfitted with and encompassed by the outer shell, the apex of the inner support element extending to said top plate at the center thereof to form a single rocking fulcrum for said top plate.

18. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises, an outer shell element formed in an outline of a T configuration having a top plate, return folds underlying the top plate and extending toward the center of the configuration, and diverging legs extending downwardly from inner edges of the return folds, the outer shell being formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material, and an inner support element formed in a generally inverted V configuration with sides converging toward an apex formed from a sheet of a flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material interfitted with and at least partially encompassed by the outer shell, the width of the inner support element being materially narrower than the width of the outer shell element.

19. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises, an outer shell element formed in an outline of a T configuration having a top plate, return folds underlying the top plate and extending toward the center of the configuration, and diverging legs extending downwardly from inner edges of the return folds, the outer shell being formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, shock absorbing material, and an inner support element formed in a generally inverted V configuration with sides converging toward an apex formed from a sheet of a flexible, resilient, shack absorbing material interfitted with and at least partially encompassed by the outer shell, the diverging legs of the outer shell having base mounts on their lower extremities.

20. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises an elongate outer shell element having a load bearing plate, re-

turn folds underlying the plate at each side extending to an area adjacent the center of the plate and substantially parallel to the plate when in loaded condition, and diverging support legs extending from said return folds away from the center of said plate having a length approximating the width of the top plate and extending to a base spread less than the width of the top plate, and an inner reinforcing element formed from a sheet of flexible resilient shock absorbing material partially encompassed by said outer shell, said reinforcing element comprising a base having sides converging toward and extending to the center area of the plate and having wings flaring from said sides to interfit between the inside surface of the plate and an inside surface of the return folds of said plate.

21. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises an elongate outer shell element having a load bearing plate, return folds underlying the plate at each side extending to an area adjacent the center of the plate and substantially parallel to the plate when in loaded condition, and diverging support legs extending from said return folds away from the center of said plate having a length approximating the width of the top plate and extending to a base spread less than the width of the top plate, and an inner reinforcing beam member having a V-shaped crosssection partially encompassed by the said frame member, said beam member being a single sheet of material with spaced legs forming a base disposed at the end of the support legs away from the plate with sides extending to and terminating at a single, longitudinally extending fold forming an apex at the central portion of said support plate between said return folds to permit said top plate to rock on said apex.

22. A load bearing locator and support member adapted to lie in contact with a load packaged for shipment such as frangible plates and the like which comprises an elongate outer shell element having a load bearing plate, return folds underlying the plate at each side extending to an area adjacent the center of the plate and substantially parallel to the plate when in loaded condition, and diverging support legs extending from said return folds away from the center of said plate having a length approximating the width of the top plate and extending to a base spread less than the width of the top plate, and an inner reinforcing element formed from a sheet of flexible resilient shock absorbing material partially encompassed by said outer shell, said reinforcing element comprising a base having sides converging toward and extending to the center area of the plate and having wings flaring from said sides to interfit between the inside surface of the plate and an inside surface of the return folds of said plate, and an inner reinforcing beam between the sides of said inner reinforcing element having a V-shaped crosssection with a base overlying the base of said reinforcing element and sides extending to and terminating at an apex at the central portion of said support plate between said return folds.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,218,676 3/1917 Lester 52468 3,099,969 8/1963 Davidson 108-56 2,337,468 12/1943 Hilger 20662 3,072,313 1/1963 Svendsen.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

